Some dogs possess the remarkable ability to learn the names of objects, even by simply overhearing their owners, according to a new study published in the journal Science. These so-called gifted word learner (GWL) dogs can learn the labels for new toys through passive eavesdropping, exhibiting sociocognitive skills comparable to those of 18-month-old human toddlers, the study's authors suggest.

The research builds upon previous work by Claudia Fugazza of Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary, who has been studying canine behavior and cognition for several years as part of the Genius Dog Challenge. Fugazza's team previously discovered that dogs store key sensory features about their toys, such as their appearance and smell, and recall those features when searching for a specific toy by name.

The current study indicates that GWL dogs can acquire new vocabulary without direct training or explicit instruction. This ability to learn through overhearing conversations suggests a sophisticated level of social intelligence in these canines.

Prior studies had shown that most dogs can learn simple action cues like "sit" or "down." However, GWL dogs demonstrate an exceptional capacity to learn object names, enabling them to retrieve specific toys from a large collection on command. Fugazza's research aims to understand the cognitive mechanisms underlying this unique skill. The Genius Dog Challenge continues to explore the cognitive abilities of dogs and shed light on the evolution of intelligence across species.